Switch apparatus



July 31, 1956 Filed March 26, 1953 B. C. WELLS ET AL SWITCH APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES:

INVENTORS Bruce C.Wells 0nd BiYrney S. Luyson.

B WCW ATTORN EY July 31, 1956 a c, WELLS ET AL 2,757,254

SWITCH APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

WITNESSES: |NVENTOR5 [4 W7 Bruce C.Wells E2 4 and Birney $.Loyson.

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ATTORNEY July 31, 1956 B. c. WELLS ET AL 2,757,254

SWITCH APPARATUS Filed March 26, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.3.

WITNESSES: INVENTORS a. Bruce C. Wells w and grney S.Loyson.

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 2,757,254 Fatented July 31, 1956 SWITCH APPARATUS Bruce C. Wells, Bulfalo, and Birney S. Layson, West Falls, N. Y., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 26, 1953, Serial No. 344,792

6 Claims. (Cl. 200-87) This invention relates generally to switches for controlling electric circuits and more particularly to switches of the electromagnetic type. Some details are covered more specifically in a copending application entitled Switch Apparatus, by the same inventors and assigned to the same assignee on the same date.

One object of this invention is to provide an electromagnetically operated switch in which adjustable operation over a wide range of sensitivities is a feature.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide an electromagnetically operated switch in which the stationary contacts and the armature pivot bearing point may be adjusted to give adjustable operation over a. wide range of sensitivities.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electromagnetically operated switch construction in which the disposition of the contacts may be changed from break to make and make to break, in which the stationary contacts and the armature pivot bearing point may be adjusted to give adjustable operation over a wide range of sensitivities and additional circuit opening or closing contacts may be easily added.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electromagnetically operated switch of the character referred to which is simple and inexpensive in construction and positive in action.

The foregoing objects are merely illustrative of the various advantages and objects of this invention. Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of an electromagnetically operating switch embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, which is sectional in part, of the showing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the showing in Fig. 1 with a different armature adjustment from that shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the showing in Fig. l.

The switch assembly shown in the accompanying drawings is of the electromagnetic type and is assembled upon a back plate 1 which is adapted for mounting upon a suitable panel (not shown). This back plate is of magnetic material and forms part of a U-shaped magnetic circuit in which the legs are defined by respective cores 2 and 3 having respective coils 4' and 5 thereon. The cores 2 and 3 project perpendicularly from the back plate 1 in spaced parallel relation so as to clear the coil portions disposed therebetween. The cores 2 and 3 are riveted to the back plate 1 in the embodiment shown. Respective pole plates 6 and 7 are fixed to the ends of the respective cores by screw members 2 and 3 respectively. Between the lower ends of the pole plates 6 and 7, a hinge pin support plate 8 is secured. This plate is of non-magnetic material and has secured thereto respective pins 9 and 10'. As may be best seen in Fig. 2, these hinge pins are provided with longitudinally spaced circumferential grooves 11. The axes of the respective hinge pins are substantially normal to the faces of the respective pole plates.

An arc box support structure 12 is secured to the upper end of the back plate 1 and extends outwardly over the coil assembly. The are box 13 is supported by the arc box support structure 12 by means of side frames 1 3 which are slidably received in the arc box support structure 12. Respective main stationary contacts 15 and 16 are secured Within the arc box 13 as may be seen in Fig. 2. It may also be seen that the main contacts 15 and 16 have are horns 15 and i6 and that the contacts 15 and 16 are adjustable, thus providing means for obtaining the optimum distance between the arc horns 15' and 16 for a'selected rating. A pole magnet (not shown) is secured between the side members 14 and immediately behind the arc box 13 to provide a pole magnet blowout. The side members 14 are of a magnetizable material.

Provision is made for adjusting the assembly which comprises the arc box 13 or main stationary contact support means, the side members 14 and the pole magnet as a unit by means of the screw 18 which clears through the slot 20 in the arc box support structure 32 and in the side members 14. To shift the contact assembly just described longitudinally of the arc box support structure, the screw 18 may be loosened and the assembly moved in the desired direction and then locked in position by tightening the screw 18.

The moving contacts 21 of the contact assembly are mounted upon a contact arm 22 which makes up part of an armature assembly. The armature assembly includes a rectangular armature plate 23 which straddles the respective pole plates from one outer edge to the other outer edge to bridge the magnetic circuit across its outer ends. The contact arm 22 is preferably formed of a non-magnetic material.

The armature plate 23 is mounted in a position adjacent to and straddling the respective pole plates 6 and 7 by means of an armature bearing plate generally designated 24, which is of substantially inverted V-shaped configuration as is best seen in Fig. 1. This armature bearing plate at the bottom edges of its respective legs is provided with bearing edges which ride in the bottoms of corresponding grooves 11 in the respective hinge pins 9 and 10. In this position a definite bearing edge is formed about which pivotal movement of the armature assembly may take place. In the illustration of Fig. 2 the bearing edges of the armature bearing plate are positioned in the grooves adjacent to the respective pole plates and the armature is shown in the position occupied when the coil is energized and the armature is attracted to the pole plates. In this position there is a minimum armature air gap and the arc box is fully retracted.

A substantially U-shaped keeper or retainer 25' is fixed to the armature assembly and has extended portions 26 which are parallel to the axes of the hinge pins 9 and 10 and which are spaced in correspondence with the spacing of said hinge pins so that the armature air gap may not be changed after a setting has been made unless the retainer 25 is loosened or removed. Thus the armature assembly is locked against appreciable vertical movement in either direction and against a lateral movement but is unhindered in its pivotal movement about the axes defined by bearing edges of the armature bearing plate 24.

The armature may be moved to a given deenergized position by means of a tension spring 27 which is engaged between a spring support 28 on the armature bearing plate 24 and an adjustable nut assembly 29. The adjustable nut assembly comprises a threaded screw 30 which is anchored in and projects outwardly from the hinge pin support plate 8. The nut 31 which threads over the screw 30 travels a path which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the armature bearing plate 24. The arrangement is such that the spring tension by adjustment of the nut 31 along the screws 30 remains substantially unchanged by the moment arm to which the spring force is applied as the position of the armature assembly is varied. As a consequence the biasing of resisting torque acting on the armature is varied by adjustment of the nut 31 on the screws 30 and may be made any desired value within the limits of the adjustment feature.

For the position of the armature bearing in the hinge pin illustrated in Fig. 2, the maximum sensitivity of the relay is obtained. The returning of this relay may now be changed by selectively positioning the bearing edges of the armature bearing plate 24 in corresponding grooves of the respective hinge pins along the length of said hinge pins. Thus the air gap between the armature plate 23 and the respective pole plates 6 and 7 may be increased in dimension by seating the bearing edges of the armature bearing plate 24 to corresponding grooves 11 of the hinge pins 9 and lltl which are farther removed from the armature cores and thus more flux will be required to attract the armature to the core for the particular setting. As a consequence, by the simple adjustment alone, the rating of the relay may be increased; that is, the sensitivity is decreased. At the same time the stationary main contact assembly may be positioned by means of the adjustable feature provided in the arc box structure previously described. By adjusting the arc box structure, the position of the stationary contact with respect to the moving contact remains unchanged. In one practical embodiment of this invention the relay can be set to pickup at 150 ampere turns minimum and 4000 ampere turns maximum.

The adjustment of the armature bearing plate 23 along the hinge pins 9 and is accomplished by the simple expedient of loosening the retainer 25 and lifting the bearing edges of the armature bearing plate 24 over the edges of the grooves ll of the hinge pins and then lowering the armature bearing plate 24 into the desired groove. When the armature bearing plate 24 is properly positioned along the respective hinge pins the retainer 25 is then moved back to the position illustrated and tightened.

In addition to the main contacts just described auxiliary contacts may be connected to the armature assembly such as the auxiliary contact arms 33 and 34. The auxiliary contact arms 33 and 34 have contacts 35 and 36, respectively. The arc box support structure 12 forms the auxiliary stationary contact support structure and supports stationary contacts 37 and 38.

Figs. 3 and 4 show how the actual stationary contacts 38 are mounted on the stationary auxiliary contact support means 12 and L-shaped bracket 39 is fixed to the stationary contact support means 12 by any suitable means shown here as screw 40. The end of the L bracket 39 opposite the end fixed to the stationary auxiliary contact support means 39 carries the actual contact which is mounted on a screw 41. The L-shaped bracket may be reversed by simply loosening its screw 4-0 and replacing in a reversed direction. Thus the auxiliary contacts may be readily changed from make to break or break to make.

Fig. 3 shows the armature positioned on the hinge pin to give a maximum armature air gap, the arc box fully extended and a normally open auxiliary contact whereas the auxiliary contacts shown in Fig. 4- are normally closed, that is the relay as illustrated in the figures shown is illustrated for the position of the armature when the coils 4 and 5 are energized enough to cause the armature to pick up.

While the stationary auxiliary contacts are shown as being fixed to the arc box support structure, it will be seen that the stationary auxiliary contacts could also be made adjustable with the arc box 13 and thus eliminate the necessity of making so many adjustments for the auxiliary stationary contacts by means of the screws in the L-shaped stationary contact support brackets.

From the foregoing description and the illustrations in the drawing it will be seen that the objects of the invention have been achieved by providing a relay with an adjustable operating range over a wide range of sensitivities and in which additional circuit opening or closing contacts may be easily added and in which contacts are provided which are disposed for reversal in operation from make to break and break to make.

While in accordance with the patent statutes one best known embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby but that equivalents are clearly within the inventive scope.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an electric switch of the electromagnetically operated type, a core fixed at one end, a magnetizing coil mounted on the core, an armature assembly including an armature member and an armature bearing plate secured to the armature, a pair of hinge pins disposed in spaced relation in corresponding positions laterally displaced from and substantially parallel to said core and fixed at one end, a pair of bearing edges on said armature bearing plate spaced from one another in correspondence with the spacing of said hinge pins and riding on said hinge pins, means for adjustably securing said bearing edgesat different positions along said hinge pins, to provide different spacing of said armature relative to said core, movable contact means connected to said armature assembly to be actuated by pivotal movement of said armature assembly about said edges, an arc box assembly, stationary contacts secured within said arc box and means affording adjustment of said are box assembly in a direction substantially paralleling the axes of said hinge pins whereby said are box and stationary contacts can be adjusted to conform with the adjustment of said armature.

2. An electromagnetically operated switch comprising, a core fixed atone end, a pair of hinge pins disposed in spaced relation in corresponding positions laterally displaced from and substantially parallel to said core and fixed at one end, an armature assembly having a pair of spaced bearing edges riding on said hinge pins affording a pivot axis for said armature assembly, movable contact means connected to and actuated by pivotal movement of said armature assembly, an arc box assembly, stationary contact means in said are box, means for adjustably securing said respective bearing edges at different positions along said hinge pins, to provide different spacing of said armature relative to said core and means adjustably mounting said arc box assembly with said stationary contact means positioned for engagement by said movable contact means and providing movement of said are box assembly along a path substantially paralleling the axes of said hinge pins whereby said arc box and stationary contact means can be adjusted to conform to the adjustment of said armature.

3. In an electric switch of the electromagnetically operated type, a core fixed at one end, a magnetizing coil mounted on the core; an armature assembly including an armature member, an armature bearing plate, and a retainer, saidarmature bearing plate and said retainer being secured to the armature, a pair of hinge pins disposed in spaced relation. in corresponding positions laterally displaced from and substantially parallel to said core and fixed at one end,.a pair of bearing edges on said armature bearing plate spaced from one another in correspondence with the spacing of said hinge pins and riding on said hinge pins, means for adjustably securing said bearing edges at different positions along said hinge pins, to provide different spacing of said armature relative to said core, said retainer having portions spaced from one another in correspondence with the spacing of said hinge pins and extending substantially parallel to said hinge pins on the side opposite the point of contact of the armature bearing to prevent changing the armature air gap after a setting has been made, movable contact means mounted on said armature assembly and actuated by pivotal movement of said armature assembly about said bearing edges, an arc box assembly, stationary contact means in said are box assembly disposed for engagement by said movable contact means, and means slidaoly mounting said are box assembly and stationary contact means for movement along a path substantially paralleling the axes of said pins, whereby said arc box assembly and stationary contact means can be adjusted to conform with the adjustment of said armature.

4. In an electric switch of the electromagnetically operated type, a core fixed at one end, a magnetizing coil mounted on the core, an armature assembly including an armature member and an armature bearing plate secured to the armature, a pair of hinge pins disposed in spaced relation in corresponding positions laterally displaced from and substantially parallel to said core and fixed at one end, a pair of bearing edges on said armature bearing plate spaced from one another in correspondence with the spacing of said hinge pins and riding on said hinge pins, means for adjustably securing said bearing edges along said hinge pins, main switch means and auxiliary switch means actuated by pivotal movement of said armature assembly about said armature assembly about said bearing edges, and means affording adjustment of said main switch means in a direction substantially paralleling the axes of said hinge pins, said auxiliary switch means being selectively open and closed for the deenergized condition of said electromagnetic contactor.

5. In an electric switch of the electromagnetically operated type, a core fixed at one end, a magnetizing coil mounted on the core, an armature assembly including an armature member and an armature bearing plate secured to the armature, a pair of hinge pins disposed in spaced relation in corresponding positions laterally displaced from and substantially parallel to said core and fixed at one end, a pair of bearing edges on said armature bearing plate spaced from one another in correspondence with the spacing of said hinge pins and riding on said hinge pins, means for adjustably securing said bearing edges along said hinge pins, main switch means and auxiliary switch means actuated by pivotal movement of said armature assembly about said bearing edges, and means afiording adjustment of said main switch means in a direction substantially paralleling the axes of said hinge pins.

6. In an electric switch of the electromagnetically operated type, a core fixed at one end, a magnetizing coil mounted on the core, an armature assembly including an armature member and an armature bearing plate secured to the armature, a pair of hinge pins disposed in spaced relation in corresponding positions laterally displaced from and substantially parallel to said core and fixed at one end, a pair of bearing edges on said armature bearing plate spaced from one another in correspondence with the spacing of said hinge pins and riding on said hinge pins, means for adjustably securing said bearing edges along said hinge pins, main switch means and auxiliary switch means actuated by pivotal movement of said armature assembly about said bearing edges, and means affording adjustment of said main switch means in a direction substantially paralleling the axes of said hinge pins, means for adjusting said auxiliary switch means between open and closed position for the deenergized condition of said electromagnetic contactor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 10,193 DInfreville Sept. 5, 1882 329,399 Leggo Oct. 27, 1885 379,064 Hamilton Mar. 6, 1888 708,539 Fell Sept. 9, 1902 916,918 Davies Mar. 30, 1909 1,060,598 Hudson May 6, 1913 1,322,254 McNicol et a1 Nov. 18, 1919 1,389,141 James Aug. 30, 1921 1,440,551 Patterson Jan. 2, 1923 1,481,104 Lenaghan Jan. 15, 1924 2,064,631 Schmitt Dec. 15, 1936 2,327,533 Kurman Aug. 24, 1943 2,435,322 Ponstingl Feb. 3, 1948 2,450,268 Bazley Sept. 28, 1948 2,611,050 Ponstingl Sept. 16, 1952 2,693,553 Wells et al. Nov. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 205,325 Great Britain Oct. 18, 1923 556,654 Great Britain Oct. 14, 1943 

